


A Good Birthday

by thelightofmorning



Series: Destiny of the Aurelii [5]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Birthday Cake, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Party, Birthday Presents, Child Neglect, Fantastic Racism, Gen, Genocide, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-24 17:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30075459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelightofmorning/pseuds/thelightofmorning
Summary: Laina has just turned fourteen and been sent to the Synod as an apprentice. To celebrate, her family (what there is of it) throws a little party.
Series: Destiny of the Aurelii [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2165382
Comments: 12
Kudos: 18





	A Good Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and reviewing. Trigger warning for mentions of death, fantastic racism, child abuse, child labour, criminal acts, child abandonment and genocide. Self-indulgent birthday fic because today’s my birthday!

It was Heart’s Day in Sun’s Dawn and therefore Laina’s birthday. The Imperial Workhouse didn’t exactly throw parties for the children entrusted to their care, only gave them an increasing amount of responsibility until their fourteenth birthday, when they were dispatched to whatever training was deemed useful for the Empire’s future needs. For Laina, that was the Synod, as today was her fourteenth birthday. So with a canvas satchel containing her few belongings, she trudged behind the Journeymage who was already gloating about being freed from the tedious chores of the chapterhouse, reminding herself that being dispatched to Legion school would be infinitely worse. In the Synod, at least, she had the hope of a comfortable future so long as she stayed out of politics.

_“Aurelia Callaina is dead. In the Emperor’s infinite mercy, acknowledging you are a mere child, you will be given the same chance as any other orphan to succeed and serve the Empire,”_ Gaius Maro the Elder had told her with her Uncle Irkand standing by his side. _“Laina has a better future than Aurelia Callaina, the daughter of traitors, ever did. Don’t waste it.”_

Hard words for an eight-year-old to learn by heart but even at that young age, Laina knew it was much better than the alternative and so she thanked him and the Emperor for their kindness. She’d become good at saying what other people wanted to hear.

**_“You will survive. You will do what you must to survive. You will remember what Esbern and I have taught you.”_** The final command of her grandfather echoed in her sleep six years after Cloud Ruler Temple’s fall, driving her to bend under what was expected of an orphan with no family or money. Other children complained but Laina endured, excelled and exceeded.

She was fourteen years old today and free of the Imperial Workhouse. The Synod didn’t care where its apprentices came from, so long as they could learn, do the work and free up the senior mages to pursue esoteric and political goals. The College of Whispers might have wanted her but there was _no_ way she’d be allowed near any kind of Conjuration spell. Laina rather thought that if she showed any interest in a not-approved School, a plausible reason would be found to deny her that course of study. So she’d be clever about studying Illusion and the more dangerous spells while focusing on the practical but unglamourous Enchanting and Alchemy.

_Granma and Grandma can teach me quite well in those Schools anyway,_ she thought smugly as she followed the Journeymage into the chapterhouse. Not everyone had a Hagraven and a Vampire Lord for grandmothers and given the _rest_ of her family, Laina knew they were the best, sanest and most loving of the lot.

She stowed her belongings in the chest at the foot of her bed, donned the dark blue robe of an apprentice, and received the list of chores she’d need to complete before the day was ended. Tidying up, sweeping the floor, reshelving books and delivering orders to Castle Bruma were light tasks compared to the dawn-to-dusk grind of life in the Imperial Workhouse. She’d have enough time to visit her grandmas in the gate district and be back before dusk.

The next few hours were spent learning the ground rules, completing those chores and being dispatched to pick up an order from Granma Catriona for Gavros, the junior-most Journeymage. People looked askance at the hedge witch who lived in the alleyway behind the Restful Watchman and dispensed cures that tasted foul but worked miracles but that didn’t stop the lazier Synod mages from taking advantage of her alchemical skills. Laina was only too happy to run down to see her, knowing that she wouldn’t need to be back for a couple hours. Gavros was pretty decent, not snide like Junius, as he was another orphan-mage from the Workhouse in Leyawiin.

“So you are in the Synod now,” remarked a voice from the shadows of the alleyway, low and pleasant, accented with a highborn Hammerfell lilt. “That is good, child. Not as good as Elinhir but better than being rough-trained as a Legion battlemage and sent to the front.”

“Grandma,” Laina said softly, glancing around to see if anyone was nearby. “I thought you had to go back to Falkreath.”

“I had no intention of missing your birthday,” Setareh al-Dragonstar said with a warm smile, only the tips of her fangs showing. “I bought a cake, because Catriona – as fine a witch as she is – can’t bake to save her life.”

“I don’t think there’s many opportunities for a Hagraven baker,” Laina said ruefully as she followed Setareh down the alleyway to Catriona’s shack. “She’s good at Illusion and alchemy though.”

“Yes, I have been learning much from her. We trade knowledge, she and I, united in a single cause.” Setareh’s smile was a little grim. “Both of us have few enough allies as it is.”

Laina knew her Grandma was bound to an evil ancestor of Grandfather Dengeir and planned to do something about it but didn’t ask questions. Granma Catriona was exiled because she couldn’t kill her own daughter during the siege of Markarth that ended badly for everyone. Neither woman had much in the way of power and allies… a lot like her. But they were dedicated to teaching and protecting her when they could.

Catriona’s shack was neat and clean, redolent with the scent of herbs and an animal musk that wasn’t unpleasant, and Neela-Tai – officially an apprentice clerk in the Provincial Revenue Service but really an up-and-coming Thief – was already there with a wrapped gift in her hands. The Hagraven wore her Illusion of a bent old crone in grey-black robes and shawls, but everyone here knew what she was. Laina still thought she was better than her mother.

“Cake’s here,” Setareh announced with a smile, putting the cloth-wrapped bundle in her arms on the table and unwrapping it to reveal a simple round of fruit-studded sponge that made Laina’s mouth water. “Fresh from the baker this morning.”

“Happy birthday!” Neela-Tai said with a lipless grin, jumping up to give Laina a hug, which was returned. They’d become good friends in the Workhouse as fellow outcasts, as no one wanted to be a friend with the orphan from Cloud Ruler or the Argonian. “I, uh, got you a present.”

“Stole it,” Catriona said with a grin.

“I, too, have a present,” said Marius from the corner of the shack. He’d found her in the ruins with Irkand in the guise of Ondolemar the Justiciar. “Some spellbooks the Thalmor keep for themselves.”

Laina embraced him, earning a rare smile from the mer. He was family too, if distant compared to Setareh and Catriona.

Neela-Tai’s gift was an enchanted silver ring that increased the potency of alchemical mixtures while Catriona had made her a simple wooden amulet of Kyne that did the same for enchanting. Marius’ spellbooks were simple ones, Alteration spells for keeping yourself clean and neat, purifying air and water, and a drying spell to preserve meat, fruit and vegetables. Setareh gave her spellbooks for Calm and Frenzy, both minor Illusion spells that could keep her alive in a bad situation. Laina read them all, absorbing the spells swiftly, and then returned them so that there was no evidence she knew them. Setareh had warned her long ago to not show the depth of her knowledge.

Marius stayed long enough to share a cup of wine and a slice of cake before returning to his duties as Ondolemar but the others were able to spend a little time together, talking and trading knowledge as they did. Laina allowed herself to feel relieved and safe in the company of her loved ones, knowing that here she didn’t need to be on guard. It came to an end all too soon, but she treasured the respite.

Neela-Tai returned to the office where she slept on a pallet and Setareh made her farewells to make the flight back to Falkreath. That left Laina alone with her Granma, the sun ruddy in the west and a hint she’d need to go back to the chapterhouse soon for dinner and evening chores.

“Thank you, Granma,” she said softly as she embraced the Hagraven. “I’ve never had a birthday party before.”

“I know,” she sighed. “It was… well, I wanted to give you one, give you something of a childhood. You’ll be a woman soon enough, probably too soon, and I will miss that.”

They hugged for a few moments longer before Laina took the package she’d been sent for and left.

Gavros was laying out bread, cheese and vegetables for the spartan dinner that the apprentices and Journeymages got while the Evokers generally ate at the Jerall View because they got a stipend. Until they reached Journeymage, apprentices got bed, board and lessons… and that was considered more than enough. Junius had the money to eat at the Jerall but Laina, Gavros and Jo’nira didn’t. “Hi,” he said shyly. “I was wondering if you’d come back.”

“I was visiting my friend Neela-Tai in the gate district,” Laina admitted with perfect honesty. “It’s my birthday and she had a present for me.”

He smiled. “Jo’nira’s baking a cake for you. Junius looks down on everyone and the Evokers don’t care because his daddy’s on the Council. We three gotta stick together if we want to go to Arcane University.”

Laina returned the smile. “I could do that.”

Maybe she’d have a better life in the Synod. Gavros seemed nice enough and Jo’nira wasn’t nose-in-the-air as a senior Journeymage. Maybe they all would go to Arcane University together and become Evokers in a more prestigious chapterhouse.

All in all, it was a good birthday.


End file.
